Costco Shoppers Spotted A Discontinued Bakery Favorite In This Deli Find (But It May Not Be Worth It)

Costco's deli section is full of products that some may describe as diamonds in the rough, with products like the Kirkland Signature Greek pasta salad — a favorite that recently returned to store shelves –  appreciated by many Costco shoppers. However, there is a new item in which only one aspect of the product is truly sought after due to shoppers' inability to find it elsewhere in the store. We are, of course, talking about the pretzel buns featured in the new packs of six miniature chicken sandwiches, priced at $5.49 per pound, which works out to around $14 on average.

For those unaware, pretzel buns — or rather pretzel rolls — were once a staple of Costco's bakery section but were unfortunately discontinued by the chain back in 2018, with many yearning to enjoy them once again ever since. Thus, while it's hard to say whether the buns in the chicken sandwiches are the same as the pretzel rolls, the sammies are more or less seen as a return for the beloved Costco staple. "Does this mean they're bringing back the pretzel buns/rolls in the bakery section?" one Instagrammer hoped.

Although the pretzel buns can only be found in the deli section for now, many are wishing that they could just enjoy the buns themselves without needing to purchase the entire sandwiches, which also feature cheddar and Swiss cheese, sliced chicken, Dijon mayonnaise, and lettuce. It's not just that the highlight is the pretzel buns, but the overall product is generally polarizing among many consumers.

Now, while some are simply happy to enjoy the new chicken sandwiches for what they are — especially because they're clad with pretzel buns — others are much more hesitant to give them a try. For starters, many are still iffy about eating any product that has lettuce on it whatsoever due to the cyclosporiasis outbreak or the "diarrhea parasite," meaning the sandwich is already fighting an uphill battle. 

However, that's not the only issue that some consumers are citing for their hesitancy; some are concerned about the sliced chicken's quality, others think the ratio of bread to fillings leans too heavily towards the pretzel bun, and many are not loving the relatively high price. "Hmm. $15 seems a bit too high, but if they are bomb and actually packed then it will be worth it," wrote one Facebook user.

With that being said, not everyone is so aggressively against the new item. In fact, many who have tried the sandwiches for themselves find that the price and bread-to-filling ratio are quite appropriate, as each sandwich is well-stacked. Nevertheless, if you really want to enjoy Costco's pretzel bread without being confined to these pre-made sandwiches, you can find a suitable substitute in the bakery section. Costco introduced its Kirkland Signature pretzel bagels earlier this summer, and while bagels are typically more dense and chewy, they can undoubtedly fill the void left by the standalone pretzel rolls.